On Sunday, West Bengal's Education Minister, Bratya Basu, took a pointed dig at Governor CV Ananda Bose, characterizing him as "a poet in Raj Bhavan without any passion."
Basu's comments were prompted by Governor Bose's remarks to the media on Friday, where he asserted that the letter he had written to the Chief Minister on September 9 should remain a confidential matter between the two of them.
The Governor was quoted by news agency PTI as saying, "If either party wants to speak about the letters, they will do so at an appropriate time. What was once shrouded in mystery is now a matter of history."
In response to this, Basu addressed members of the teachers' cell within the ruling Trinamool Congress. He remarked, "There is a poet in Raj Bhavan. However, a poet must connect with the people."
He went on to say, "Here we have a poet who is allied with the ruler. We must contemplate whether we should continue to maintain such a position, which is akin to a white elephant. Someone is endeavoring to sustain a role that holds no relevance in the present era."
Discussing the appointment of interim vice-chancellors by the governor, Basu noted, "Certain interim VCs are growing close to the governor, despite our previous efforts to support many of them."
"We won't threaten or intimidate them. However, they should bear in mind that they will remain in the state. They should also consider that the tenure of this poet (the Governor) may not be lengthy," he added.
Basu further accused the central government of gaining control over virtually every institution and position within the country.
The ongoing dispute between the governor and the state government began in May, revolving around the appointment of interim vice-chancellors for 16 state universities. The state contended that these appointments were made unilaterally, without consulting the higher education department, the chief minister, or the relevant minister.
Governor Bose defended his decision to appoint eight interim VCs, citing the students' interests due to the absence of university heads after the expiration of full-time VCs' terms.
The state also accused Bose of delaying the establishment of search committees for VCs in each university.
In response to Basu's comments, Samik Bhattacharya, a BJP state spokesperson, criticized him for using such language against the governor's office, deeming it distasteful.
Leader of the opposition, Suvendu Adhikari, condemned Basu's statement, remarking, "Basu is delivering incoherent speeches against the governor. We condemn his continuous remarks against such a respectable figure."
